Lord Rooker: The Department of Health and Social Services and Public Safety through the alcohol and drug strategies, and its funding for core health board addiction services, provides funding to a range of organisations and groups offering help and support to those with addictions. Additional funding is provided by the NIO Community Safety Unit (NIO) and the Housing Executive for Northern Ireland (NIHE). The figures for these three funding bodies are as follows.
	
		
			 Alcohol and Drug Strategies 
			 2002-03 £4,167,214 
			 2003-04 £4,271,394 
			 2004-05 £5,383,056 
			 2005-06 £5,517,633 
			 2006-07 £6,367,240 (Projected) 
			 Total Funding £25,706,537 
		
	
	
		
			 Health Boards 
			 2002-03 £4,790,678 
			 2003-04 £5,117,335 
			 2004-05 £5,998,304 
			 2005-06 £6, 618, 163 
			 2006-07 £6,753,076 (Projected) 
			 Total Funding £29,277,556 
		
	
	
		
			 NIO 
			 2002-03 £323,072 
			 2003-04 £508,620 
			 2004-05 £557,309 
			 2005-06 £494,492 
			 2006-07 £448,000 (Projected) 
			 Total Funding £2,331,493 
		
	
	
		
			 NIHE 
			 2003-04 £3,105,970 
			 2004-05 £3,260,283 
			 2005-06 £4,104,499 
			 2006-07 £3,866,825 (Projected) 
			 Total Funding £14,337,577

Lord Astor of Hever: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What steps the Office of the Provost Marshal (Army) has taken to reinvigorate the information technology strategy to support the intelligence and covert operations of the Royal Military Police Special Investigation Branch; and
	What steps have been taken consequent to the report of H M Inspectors of Constabulary intothe Service Police to increase the resourcing of the Service Police Crime Bureau and to clarify its roles and responsibilities; and
	What are the arrangements for forensic warrant officers from the Royal Military Police Special Investigation Branch to be allocated periods of refresher training at the National Training Centre in Durham; how many such allocations have been made and completed; and how many are forthcoming; and
	What steps the Royal Military Police Special Investigation Branch has taken to recruit a civilian head of profession for forensic services; and
	Whether the Office of the Provost Marshal (Army) has considered taking fingerprints and DNA samples from all potential Royal Military Police applicants for speculative search against relevant databases; and
	What steps the Office of the Provost Marshal (Army) has taken to identify options for reducing the case sizes of minor offences.

Earl Attlee: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What progress has been made on developinga register of Territorial Army skills to improvethe use by the Royal Military Police Special Investigation Branch of any Home Office police skills held by reserve personnel; and
	Whether the Office of the Provost Marshal (Army) has undertaken a review of the tenure policies for all specialist postings within the Royal Military Police Special Investigation Branch; and whether the Office considered developing specialist career paths as part of this review; and
	Whether the Office of the Provost Marshal (Army) has undertaken a review of the course portfolio of the Defence Police College; and whether this review considered the benefits of computer-based distance learning to remove training gaps; and
	Whether the Royal Military Police Special Investigation Branch has developed an action plan to progress the race equality scheme; and
	Whether there are plans for regular independent inspection of the Royal Military Police; and, if so, by whom such inspections will be made.

Lord Truscott: The Government constructed the new assisted areas map by building it up from ward level, aggregated to zones of a minimum 100,000 population. The Government set out the new mapin their government response document published on 10 October 2006. The document also contains a list of wards that qualified for assisted areas coverage. See www.dti.gov.uk/regional/assisted-areas/assisted-areas-review/page24618.html

Lord Rooker: The Government, through Invest NI, promote Northern Ireland as an attractive and viable location for foreign direct investment. They also work to stimulate the development and growth of local businesses and entrepreneurial activity. Northern Ireland Tourist Board (NITB) works to secure investment in tourism.
	Invest NI works closely with local stakeholders to encourage them to develop regional propositions to maximise the attractiveness of their area for potential investors.
	This strategy has resulted in around £18.8 million of assistance being offered towards total planned inward investment of £55.8 million in the East Belfast constituency area in the four years to March 2006. Through its accelerating entrepreneurship strategy, Invest NI has also assisted the creation of just under 350 new enterprises which have the potential to generate significant additional turnover in local businesses.
	In the period 1 April 2002 to 31 March 2006, Invest NI organised 580 inward visits by potential investor companies to Northern Ireland, of which 110 were to East Belfast.
	DETI's £23.5 million investment to date in the establishment of a science park at Queen's Island has provided 80,000 square feet of high-quality workspace designed to attract innovation-led, high-growth, knowledge-based businesses. The Government have also recently approved a proposal to build a further 210,000 square feet of accommodation at the site, with additional funding of £4.3 million being made available for the first phase build of 60,000 square feet.
	The Institute of Electronics, Communications and Information Technology (ECIT) is the flagship tenant for the Science Park, with Invest NI offering£8.3 million assistance towards a total investmentof £37.8 million, representing the single largest investment in leading-edge research and development infrastructure to establish in NI.
	As a key signature project within the Northern Ireland Tourist Board's strategic framework for action 2004-07, the Titanic and Maritime Heritage project has the potential to make a significant impact on Northern Ireland tourism, providing further potential social and economic benefits for the local population, including new employment opportunities.
	This project has been shortlisted for further consideration by the Big Lottery Fund. The Government, acting through NITB and DETI, along with Titanic Quarter Limited (TQL), are now progressing the lottery application to the second stage due for submission by end May 2007, and working to identify potential additional funding sources.
	NITB has already committed funding of £825,000 for other aspects of the Titanic bid including the development of Thompson Dock and Pump House and also the world's first interactive multimedia digital trail, launched by NITB and Belfast City Council in August 2006. Invest NI has also offered £136,000 of assistance to hotels within the East Belfast area to help them develop their capability in order to strengthen the tourism product on offer within the area.
	IKEA's planned opening of a new store in East Belfast also represents a major investment proposal for this part of the city, bringing significant social and economic benefits to the area, with up to 500 new jobs expected to be created.

Lord Rooker: The Minister of State for Northern Ireland has agreed all the matters raised.
	In the light of the general consensus that emerged following public consultation, the Government concluded that the Bill of Rights Forum should comprise an independent chair, 14 political representatives and14 representatives of civic society. Political parties and representative groups from civic society were invited to nominate individuals to sit on the forum. Arrangements are being taken forward to select the independent chair.
	The forum has to date incurred a small amount of expenditure for which the Northern Ireland Office has made provision.
	The purpose of the forum is to produce agreed recommendations to inform the work that the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission is undertaking to fulfil its statutory duty to provide advice to Government on a Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland.

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many investigating officers currently in the Office of the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland have managed a counter-terrorist operation in a hostile environment; and
	How many investigating officers currently in the Office of the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland have been involved in handling an informer in a hostile terrorist environment; and
	How many investigating officers currently in the Office of the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland have previously worked operationally on matters of United Kingdom National Security.

Lord Rooker: The Police Ombudsman's primary function is to provide a system for handling complaints against the police. The Police Ombudsman advises that the information asked for is not available in the form requested. However, consistent with the previous Answer (WA 107), the ombudsman's annual budget from April 2001 to March 2006 is as follows.
	
		
			 2001-02 £5,815,000 
			 2002-03 £6,838,000 
			 2003-04 £6,925,000 
			 2004-05 £7,410,000 
			 2005-06 £7,550,000 
		
	
	The Police Ombudsman also advises that during this period 19,000 complaints have been handled by her office. As at end of March 2006, 74 criminal charges have been referred to the PPS and to date 34 have been or are being directed by the director. Of those cases concluded, six police officers have been convicted of criminal offences.

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many former Royal Ulster Constabulary GC or Police Service of Northern Ireland officers, including reservists, currently being treated through the Police Rehabilitation Trust or elsewhere, for stress-related illnesses, have been the subject of investigation by the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland.

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the remarks by Mr Mark Durkan MP on 24 January (HC Deb, col. 1415) about the report by the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland into the death of Raymond McCord, Junior, and related matters, whether the three Royal Ulster Constabulary GC senior ex-officers named were (a) suspected of any offence; (b) formally interviewed about any alleged offence; or (c) reported to the Public Prosecution Service for any alleged offence during the course of the Police Ombudsman's investigation.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: The cost of preparing for the implementation of the C-NOMIS system at HMP Albany includes all costs (supplier and internal costs) associated with the application development and implementation incurred to-date. (Please see attached table.)
	Currently, the estimate for the total set-up and implementation costs across the prison and probation management systems is being revisited. The estimate will be prepared once development and implementation plans have been finalised and approved by the C-NOMIS programme board and in the light of emerging feedback from implementation at HMP Albany.
	The business case estimate of project cost is£99 million (excluding annual charges of £9 million per annum, which includes increased wide area network, hardware and software maintenance, first, second and third line post-implementation support and so on). The costs excluded sunk costs of £16.7 million to the end of June 2005 (used to produce a prototype, technical designs and contracts). The estimated full life cost (over 14 years) is £234 million (including support and technical refreshes), which equates to about £240 per member of staff per annum. The estimated costs include licensing the preferred COTS package, design and development of the system, user trials, data migration, implementation, training and ongoing support and maintenance.
	
		
			 Figures exclude VAT and Capital charges 2005-06 2006-07 YTD 
			 Total charges £38,723,655 £30,772,417 
			 Total cost to-date  £69,496,072

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether detailed talks took place with the Government of the Republic of Ireland prior tothe republic's announcement that 8 per cent of the proposed €180 billion national development plan would be spent on projects in Northern Ireland; over what period such talks took place; who took part; whether any local political parties were involved; what conditions were imposed; what agreements were made; and how these talks will impact on Northern Ireland's constitutional integrity.

Lord Rooker: The development of the Irish national development plan was entirely a matter for the Irish Government, although Northern Ireland Ministers and officials were kept abreast of their thinking as the plan was developed. We are not aware of the amount of funding the chapter entitled "All Island Co-operation" entails for Northern Ireland, but it is highly unlikely to be anything like the€14 billion implied by the noble Lord's Question.
	Consultation with local parties would have been a matter for the Irish Government, but I note that Irish officials gave evidence on the matter to the Transitional Assembly's programme for government sub-group on economic issues on 7 December 2006 and that representatives of all four of the main Northern Ireland political parties were represented.
	The relevant part of the plan makes it clear that the Irish Government wish to agree the proposals with the British Government and a restored Northern Ireland Executive so that neither it nor the process by which it was developed will have any bearing on Northern Ireland's constitutional integrity.

Lord Rooker: The chief executive of Roads Service (Dr Malcolm McKibbin) has written to the noble Lord in response to this Question.
	Letter from Dr Malcolm McKibbin to Lord Laird dated January 2007.
	You recently asked her Majesty's Government a Parliamentary Question further to the Written Answer by Lord Rooker on 17 January 2007 (WA 165) concerning a bypass around Enniskillen, when they estimate the bypass will be built. As this issue falls within my responsibility as chief executive of Roads Service, I have been asked to reply.
	As I advised in my reply to Parliamentary Question HL1226, the proposal for a bypass to the south of Enniskillen was included in the consultation document Expanding the Strategic Road Improvement Programme. While responses to the consultation supported the inclusion of the bypass, analysis of the feedback is still on going and, as such, it is not yet possible to confirm whether it will be included in the resulting expanded programme.
	I can, however, advise that, typically, it can take at least six years to progress a scheme from its initial inclusion in a programme to the start of construction. This, of course, is subject to detailed economic appraisal, clearing the relevant statutory procedures and the availability of funds through the normal budgetary processes.

Lord Rooker: The information requested is as follows:
	
		
			 P1 to P7 Enrolment 
			 School Name 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 
			 Abbey PS 592 586 583 569 571 
			 Academy PS 354 361 366 373 376 
			 Alexander Dickson PS 189 183 182 171 153 
			 Andrews Memorial PS 426 408 390 376 366 
			 Ballycloughan PS 64 59 54 56 47 
			 Ballykeigle PS 41 49 59 58 60 
			 Ballywalter PS 172 180 187 196 175 
			 Brooklands PS 566 542 525 537 521 
			 Carrickmannon PS 84 85 84 88 87 
			 Carrowdore PS 151 152 148 145 141 
			 Carryduff PS 234 202 189 174 157 
			 Castle Gardens PS 361 364 345 341 344 
			 Comber PS 350 344 346 310 317 
			 Derryboy PS 71 72 79 74 80 
			 Dundonald PS 597 594 575 577 560 
			 Grey Abbey PS 73 76 72 76 76 
			 Killinchy PS 262 285 301 319 309 
			 Killyleagh PS 108 109 97 95 99 
			 Kircubbin PS 110 125 117 110 104 
			 Kirkistown PS 63 75 81 86 95 
			 Londonderry PS 302 299 299 304 313 
			 Loughries PS 80 85 80 79 72 
			 Millennium Integrated PS 48 80 107 131 173 
			 Moneyrea PS 137 137 143 138 138 
			 Newtownards Model PS 376 381 367 365 375 
			 Portaferry Integrated PS 83 86 84 85 80 
			 Portavogie PS 140 144 157 143 145 
			 Regent House School Prep. Department 155 149 140 143 137 
			 St Caolan's (Derryboy) 89 79 78 71 71 
			 St Finian's PS (Ards) 110 120 113 107 126 
			 St Ita's Primary School - - 80 255 330 
			 St Joseph's PS (Carryduff) 762 762 755 475 428 
			 St Mary's PS (Kircubbin) 159 140 127 138 122 
			 St Mary's PS (Ballygowan) 25 21 20 16 3 
			 St Mary's PS (Comber) 30 28 32 32 33 
			 St Mary's PS (Killyleagh) 131 131 130 117 126 
			 St Mary's PS (Portaferry) 244 241 225 222 210 
			 St Patrick's PS (Kircubbin) 102 86 85 83 80 
			 Victoria PS (Ballyhalbert) 122 125 115 137 136 
			 Victoria PS (Newtownards) 560 526 543 555 556 
			 West Winds PS 143 140 139 123 130

Lord Rooker: The information requested is as follows.
	
		
			 P1 to P7 Enrolment 
			 School Name 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 
			 Aghavilly PS 76 68 66 54 42 
			 Anamar PS 46 41 36 32 35 
			 Armstrong PS 305 284 295 302 296 
			 Bessbrook PS 72 72 77 78 78 
			 Bunscoil An Iuir 71 75 75 76 84 
			 Christian Brothers' PS 330 311 301 298 291 
			 Clare PS 81 76 87 90 90 
			 Clea PS 66 65 67 67 68 
			 Clonalig PS 129 141 133 125 125 
			 Cloughoge PS 389 402 416 411 404 
			 Collone PS 39 36 31 33 27 
			 Cortamlet PS 51 59 57 58 64 
			 Darkley PS 107 107 92 79 85 
			 Derryhale PS 63 57 54 60 62 
			 Dromintee PS 133 148 152 152 159 
			 Drumhillery PS 68 61 66 65 64 
			 Drumsallen PS 67 75 56 51 46 
			 Foley County PS 114 112 100 85 83 
			 Hamiltonsbawn PS 134 135 139 129 120 
			 Hardy Memorial PS 431 430 397 396 373 
			 Jonesborough PS 105 97 86 79 81 
			 Keady PS 37 38 33 28 27 
			 Killean PS 113 110 100 103 104 
			 Killylea PS 49 51 54 51 53 
			 Kingsmills PS 58 59 47 51 44 
			 Lisnadill PS 93 89 89 85 75 
			 Markethill PS 243 238 241 238 256 
			 Mount St Catherine's PS 218 208 197 193 183 
			 Mountnorris PS 83 90 85 81 81 
			 Mullaghglass PS 77 76 62 64 64 
			 Mullavilly PS 103 98 97 102 92 
			 Newtownhamilton PS 72 73 73 77 66 
			 Our Lady & St Mochua's PS - 129 137 143 152 
			 Our Lady's PS 123 127 132 132 137 
			 Poyntzpass PS 80 84 87 86 88 
			 Royal School Armagh Prep. Department 58 47 42 48 38 
			 Saints & Scholars Int PS 196 215 227 246 245 
			 St Brigid's (Drumilly) PS 49 56 62 59 65 
			 St Brigid's PS (Newry) 136 140 144 157 157 
			 St Clare's Convent PS 275 248 244 221 219 
			 St Colman's Abbey PS 318 292 281 263 257 
			 St Colmcille's PS 46 36 28 28 29 
			 St Francis of Assisi PS 239 230 237 243 226 
			 St James' PS (Drumatee) 44 43 30 30 26 
			 St James's PS (Tandragee) 26 15 16 15 14 
			 St Jarlath's PS 147 147 155 154 158 
			 St John's Eglish (1) PS 45 38 37 31 30 
			 St Johns PS (Killylea) 119 119 118 120 115 
			 St Joseph's Convent PS 457 459 461 479 473 
			 St Joseph's PS (Armagh) 117 111 104 112 119 
			 St Joseph's PS (Bessbrook) 313 305 299 292 261 
			 St Joseph's PS (Killeavy) 177 181 172 178 180 
			 St Joseph's PS (Poyntzpass) 75 83 87 91 96 
			 St Laurence O'Toole's PS 42 47 49 55 56 
			 St Malachy's PS (Armagh) 200 193 197 201 185 
			 St Malachy's PS (Camlough) 232 231 241 244 249 
			 St Malachy's PS (Carnagat) 422 392 383 354 324 
			 St Malachy's PS (Whitecross) 74 88 82 78 88 
			 St Mary's PS (Donaghmore) 87 97 04 103 101 
			 St Mary's PS (Mullaghbawn) 235 247 256 254 265 
			 St Mary's PS (Tassagh) 123 122 119 123 126 
			 St Michael's PS (Mowhan) 54 57 58 55 54 
			 St Michael's PS (Newtownhamilton) 75 66 64 61 62 
			 St Oliver Plunkett PS (Forkhill) 112 116 117 12 109 
			 St Oliver Plunkett PS (Kilmore) 107 109 106 100 96 
			 St Oliver's PS (Carrickrovaddy) 42 49 52 51 47 
			 St Patrick's PS (Armagh) 445 472 458 439 453 
			 St Patrick's PS (Crossmaglen) 248 222 230 214 231 
			 St Patrick's PS (Cullyhanna) 192 186 191 187 181 
			 St Patrick's PS (Newry) 307 305 307 329 309 
			 St Peter's PS (Cloughreagh) 254 255 274 281 285 
			 St Peter's PS (Moy) 94 104 117 117 125 
			 St Teresa's PS 38 42 42 42 40 
			 Tandragee PS 306 291 295 303 310 
			 The Cope PS 157 145 146 135 137 
			 The Drelincourt Infants School 18 17 27 28 30 
			 Windsor Hill PS 192 177 186 175 179

Lord Rooker: The Chief Executive of Water Service (Mrs Katharine Bryan) has written to the Noble Lord in response to this question.
	Letter from Mrs Katharine Bryan to Lord Laird
	You recently asked Her Majesty's Government a Parliamentary Question, further to the Written Answer by Lord Rooker on 17 January (WA 167) concerning the sewerage system at Springfield, County Fermanagh, what are the criteria for economic feasibility [HL1484]. I have been asked to reply as this issue falls within my responsibility as Chief Executive of Water Service.
	Under current legislation, Water Service has a duty to provide water and sewerage services but is not required to do anything which is not practicable at a reasonable cost. For this reason, Water Service has always operated a policy of reasonable cost allowances for the purpose of determining what is practicable at reasonable cost. The reasonable cost allowances for sewerage schemes are £4,000 for each house occupied before May 2000 and £2,300 for all other houses. The policy provides Water Service with an objective mechanism to consider applications for new water and sewerage services in a consistent and equitable manner. The policy seeks to strike a balance between the interests of householders and taxpayers, within the context of resources made available for water and sewerage services. If the cost of the scheme is more than the total reasonable cost allowance, the scheme cannot be provided at public expense alone and can proceed only if the property owners agree to meet the additional cost.
	When an application was received in 2002 for a sewer extension covering eight properties at Springfield, it was estimated that it would cost £45,000 and the total reasonable cost allowance was assessed at £32,000. The applicant was advised that the scheme could proceed if the additional cost of £13,000 was met by the householders who would benefit, but the offer was not taken up.

Lord Ashley of Stoke: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether representations they have made to the BBC concerning the need for the programme BBC Parliament to be fully accessible to people who rely on television subtitles.

Lord Davies of Oldham: None. As the channel's audience share is below the threshold at which broadcasters are obliged by Ofcom to offer subtitles, the subtitling service on BBC Parliament is a voluntary commitment of the BBC. It is the only parliamentary channel in the world to offer such a service.
	The BBC announced in October of last year an increase in its subtitling of BBC Parliament from450 hours per year to 810 hours, enabling more of the most important events to be offered in subtitling. The Government welcome this.

Lord Rooker: Flycapture, the national database of fly-tipping incidents, was set up in 2004 by Defra, the Environment Agency and the Local Government Association, to record fly-tipping incidents dealt with by the Environment Agency and local authorities. Data on fly-tipping levels are, therefore, available only from April 2004 onwards.
	Flycapture data show that, in England, 926,534 incidents were reported in the period from April 2004 to March 2005. There were 1,034,518 incidents reported from April 2005 to March 2006.
	The cost of clearing illegally dumped waste reported by local authorities between April 2004 and March 2005 was over £44 million. For the period between April 2005 and March 2006, the cost was almost £50 million. Over half of this cost was due to clearing fly-tips equal to small van-sized loads of waste. When the costs of clearance on private land are included, the 2005-06 clearance costs are estimated to rise to over £100 million.
	The number of defendants found guilty of offences under Sections 33 and 34 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 is shown in the table below. Data from 2006 will not be available until November 2007.
	
		
			 Year Number of defendants found guilty of offences under Sections 33 and 34 of Environmental Protection Act 
			 2001 738 
			 2002 916 
			 2003 859 
			 2004 1133 
			 2005 1541 
			 Source:  Criminal Justice Systems Analysis, RDS—OCJR